1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates a bottle-type plastic container having a container body that is partly recessed inwards to afford a grip region.
2. Description of Related Art
As a bottle-type container for beverages, alcoholic drinks, etc., a relatively large size plastic container is often used, having a capacity of 2,700 cm3, for example, and produced by a biaxial orientation blow molding process or the like.
The body of such container is large and heavy in use, and is thus not always easy to stably hold by a single hand. Therefore, it has been a conventional practice to provide such a container with a separately prepared grip member that is fixedly secured to the body. However, provision of separate grip member is not very suitable solution from the viewpoint of reduction in production steps, cost and material. Furthermore, so-called separated collection of waste materials becomes difficult or time consuming particularly when the body and the grip member are comprised of mutually different materials and, hence, the grip member has to be removed from the body before disposition.
These problems can be effectively eliminated by a pinch grip-type container including a body that is partly recessed inwards to afford a grip region, as disclosed, for example, in JP-4-33,238Y2 or JP-4-33,239Y2. In this instance, the container body has surface portions that are recessed inwards and opposed to each other to define a grip region therebetween, which is configured so as to be engaged by consumer""s hand. Such an arrangement proved to be highly advantageous in that a plastic container with an integral grip region can be produced efficiently and at low cost, without requiring a separate grip member to be prepared in advance and subsequently connected to the container body.
On the other hand, in order to perform a blow molding process to stably produce a pinch grip-type container with an intended shape, the container is generally designed to have as smooth and continuous an outer surface as possible. Such a design may make it difficult to realize sufficient and effective catch for the fingers, often resulting in that the container cannot be held stably and in a secure manner unless fingers are engaged with the recessed surface portions of the container body with a substantial pressure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved bottle-type plastic containers which eliminates the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and which can be held stably and in a secure manner without requiring substantial pressure for engaging the fingers with the recessed surface portions of the container.
To this end, according to the present invention, a bottle-type plastic container includes a container body and an opening at one end of the container body for allowing liquid contents to be charged into the container and discharged therefrom. The container body has surface portions, which are recessed inwards and opposed to each other to define a grip region therebetween. The recessed surface portions are each defined by at least two shoulder-like steps that are engageable with consumer""s fingers when the container is held by hand.
With the above-mentioned arrangement of the bottle-type plastic container according to the present invention, the recessed surface portions of the container body are each defined by at least two shoulder-like steps each forming a catch that can be readily and positively engaged by consumer""s fingers when the container is held by hand. The plastic container having such a design can be stably and efficiently produced by blow molding process, without causing defective shape even when the edge of the recessed surface portion defined by the shoulder-like step has a sharp curvature or a small radius of curvature.
Advantageously, the recessed surface portions of the container body are each provided with a reinforcement rib that extends in circumferential direction of the container body, for dividing the recessed surface portion into upper and lower parts.
In this instance, it is preferred that the reinforcement rib is arranged substantially at a midpoint of the recessed surface portion as seen in a longitudinal direction of the container body.
It is also preferred that the reinforcement rib has a wall that forms an angle relative to a bottom wall of the recessed surface portion, said angle being substantially 90xc2x0.
Advantageously, a plurality of ribs are formed on the bottom wall of the recessed surface portion and/or at a grip region adjacent to the recessed surface portion, said ribs being arranged to extend in the circumferential direction of the container body to provide an improved engagement with consumer""s hand.
The container according to the present invention may have an inner volume within a range of 1,800-4,000 cm3.